Nine Easter Events in Boston

Eggs photo via Wikimedia Commons

Easter Egg Dash at Paragon Carousel

Don’t let the latest snow flurries get you down. Spring really is here—we’re seeing all the telltale signs: Boston’s yucky icebergs have melted to reveal litter blossoms, Fenway Park’s gearing up for Opening Day, Sullivan’s is back in business, and Nantasket Beach’s Paragon Carousel is starting up again. To kick off the carousel’s 87th season, they’re hosting Easter fun all weekend long, culminating in an annual Easter Egg Dash on Sunday, where they’ll have 2,000 candy-filled eggs, plus a handful of “golden” eggs filled with carousel ride tokens.

April 5, 12:30 p.m., Paragon Carousel, 205 Nantasket Ave., Hull, 781-925-0472, paragoncarousel.com.

Odyssey Boston Easter Sunday Cruises

Sure, you could host Easter at your place again—what a great idea if you like stressing out about ham temperatures, planning meals around Aunt Ruth’s latest food allergy, and scrubbing chocolatey toddler fingerprints off your walls. Or you could let someone else do all that while you sip champagne and enjoy a gorgeous view of Boston Harbor on an Easter cruise. On the Odyssey, they’ll have entertainment for the kiddies, fancy buffet fare for the adults, and a chocolate fountain for anyone who’s not an enemy of fun and/or dentist bills.

$55-75 adults, $33-45 children 3-12, April 5, various times, 60 Rowes Wharf, Boston, 866-307-2469, odysseycruises.com.

Bunny Bonanzoo at Stone Zoo

Like the Panamanian golden frog, the Easter Bunny is a highly rare species. Unlike the Panamanian golden frog, however, the Easter Bunny will not coat your skin in dangerous toxins if you happen to brush up against it. This weekend, you can visit both of these strange and wonderful creatures at Stone Zoo. You’ll only want to hug one of them, though.

April 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Stone Zoo, 149 Pond St., Stoneham, 617-541-5466, zoonewengland.org.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary

When you look at it from a rabbit’s perspective, Easter isn’t exactly all fun and jelly beans. “Many Easter present bunnies are cruelly abandoned,” the Winslow Farm reminds us, giving us a sobering glimpse into its rabbits’ harrowing former lives. For example, Bouncer was a throwaway holiday pet, while Merlin was heartlessly flung from a moving car. As an animal sanctuary, Winslow’s mission is to lavish special attention on these refugee critters—and you can, too: their annual Easter egg hunt festivities include a chance to commune with their motley furred and feathered crew.

$10 adults, $ children, April 4-5, 12-3 p.m., Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary, 37 Eddy St., Norton, 508-285-6451, winslowfarm.com.

Easter Egg Hunt at Titus Sparrow Park

Discovering each of the nearly 30 adorable little parks tucked away in the South End can be a kind of scavenger hunt all its own. One of the biggest of these green spaces is the 1.5-acre Titus Sparrow Park. Intrepid explorers who find the park this weekend—hint: it’s in the shadow of the Pru—will be rewarded with the chance to take part in their Easter egg hunt, complete with arts, crafts, and Easter piñatas. Follow it up with a special jazz brunch at the nearby Beehive.

April 4, 10 a.m., Titus Sparrow Park, 200 West Newton St., Boston, 617-536-1467, titussparrowpark.org.

Good Friday Concert at Trinity Church

Fans of controversial indie filmmaker Troy Duffy might best recognize Copley Square’s Trinity Church for its cameo appearance in the opening scene of The Boondock Saints. While it’s unlikely that you’ll find the movie’s vigilante MacManus twins at Trinity this Friday, you can expect plenty of haunting and achingly beautiful Passiontide choral music, performed by the La Farge Ensemble.

Free ($20 suggested donation), April 3, 5:30 p.m., Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon St, Boston, 617-536-0944, trinitychurchboston.org.

Urban Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt in Roslindale Village

When it comes to Easter, Rozzie is not messing around. Their annual egg hunt promises “6,000 eggs + Mr. Bunny,” an egg toss event, bunny hop races, and arts and crafts. Plus, 15 local businesses get in on the action, too. If you find yourself famished from all that hunting, hopping, and scavenging, you’re in luck, because Rozzie also isn’t messing around when it comes to brunch. Head to Redd’s, where they serve up a Southern-accented brunch to be reckoned with—there’s a reason they call that egg sandwich “The Haymaker.”

April 4, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Fallon Field, 34 Walworth St., Roslindale, roslindale.net.

Peter Rabbit Tales at Puppet Showplace Theater

Ever wonder why Beatrix Potter’s bunnies look so realistic? She used actual animals as her models. In fact, her illustrations of Peter Rabbit were based on her own pet rabbit—whose carcass she boiled and skeletonized for more accurate renderings. Taking a cue from Potter’s penchant for expressive detail—but not her penchant for bunny-boiling—performers from Tuckers’ Tales Puppet Theatre will bring their charming tribute to Flopsy, Mopsy, and the rest of the Rabbit fam with Peter Rabbit Tales.

$12, April 2-4, Puppet Showplace Theatre, 32 Station St., Brookline, 617-731-6400, puppetshowplace.org.

Egg-cellent Easter Adventure at Appleton Farms

But enough about the rabbits. “While we often associate eggs with the Easter Bunny, in many cultures, eggs symbolize new life and are tied with the coming of spring,” Appleton Farms points out on their website. At this Ipswich farm’s egg hunt, the chickens are the stars of the show. Afterward, you can snack on goodies in the Carriage Barn, enjoy games in the stone paddock, and meet the farm’s calves.

$25 per family (members $15 per family), April 4, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Appleton Farms, 219 County Road, Ipswich, 978-356-5728, thetrustees.org.

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